


Weep for Magic 2.0

by EnidZsasz



Category: Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Blood, Blood Magic, Blood and Gore, Death, Demihumans, F/M, Fantasy Creatures, Grimdark, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo is a moth, Magic, Mothlo, Murder, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey is a moth, Reylo - Freeform, Starvation, Touch-Starved, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:42:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnidZsasz/pseuds/EnidZsasz
Summary: (Rewrite) Rey is something rare, something that she must hide from everyone. In a city that casts her kind as both the enemy and as slaves she has to hide herself. Her friends however, all appear to be part of a group leading the King of the demi-humans, and Rey knows that what she is, is the same as him. She is too scared to allow them to know as her kind, are the most looked after, and slaughtered, of all the demi-humans in the entire world.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue: A little Less Magic

**Author's Note:**

> please tell me if I need more tags.

The creature looked so tiny, though she was about the size of a normal young woman. Slight and blinking at him the large doe-like eyes bore into him. She wasn’t chained down like the rest, and the Ashen one only knew what happened to her parents. He reached his hand out, he was supposed to check her over, see how frail she was. To see if she looked likely ready to die. It was a scant hour since she had formed and only now were the large pale white wings actually dry. “Hello.” he said, reaching out to her. 

She only tilted her head. “Hello?” he asked. She cringed away from him when he got closer, waiting to be hurt. A furious feeling ran into him, something he thought he could never have. She wasn’t human but looked enough like one, with large eyes that made her look like a small child. “I won’t hurt you.” he dropped his hand, putting it to his chest. “I am Hux. What is your name?” he asked. She made a noise that sounded almost like a soft whirring noise. Insect like, as she watched him. 

“You don’t know how to speak?” she didn’t say anything. “Hux.” he touched his chest again, thinking. “Rey.” he pointed to her chest. “Hux.” he repeated the motion to his chest. “Rey.” the pointed back to her. 

“Rheh?” she questioned slurred. He felt a lightness in him and smiled. “Hugs.” Hux was not going to correct her. 

“Yes.” he nodded to her. “Rey.” pointed to her once more. She blinked, eyes looking outside. From the sound of his father's voice they were coming to a head in negotiations soon. Hux frowned looking to the exit of the large parade tent that held so many other creatures that it smelled thick with filth and rot. Many must be dead, and many more dying. 

“Taige, get out here.” he heard, Hux stood up, turning away from her and heading near the exit. “How is the creature?” his father asked him the moment he got close. 

“Frail, weak, and not likely to live.” Hux answered. It was a lie, mostly, he could get her out of the tent with that. “I believe I will need to get her out into the open to be sure.” 

“Get  _ IT _ . That thing will never be human.” Bhrendol reminded his son. Hux nodded only once to him that furious feeling inside of him boiling up. 

“Fine, take the damned thing out, more trouble, but we weigh it and double the weight for gold.” said the slaver. Hux turned from the conversation which was growing more heated. That would be about right for the creature, he smiled back down to her. 

“Rey? I’m taking you outside.” he gestured to another exit, reaching slowly for her. She cringed, waiting for pain, but he picked her up. She was surprisingly light, half the weight of a comparable human if not lighter. The glassy eyed look of many more creatures followed them, some not blinking as flies buzzed about their eyes. On the way out, he grabbed a large curved de-fleshing knife, sliding it into his boot as the little one watched.

He set her down, as she stood wobbling on her strange insectoid toes. From head to toe her resemblance to humans was more than some of the creatures behind him. However she was a moth demi-human. With an antenna that peeked out of brown human hair. Around her neck coming down to just frame her naked chest was white wool, like a lamb. Then from her upper-arm, to her wrists was thick wool, ending in fine hairs on her five fingered hands. Around her waist, not touching the female private area, then coming down from her thighs down to her toes was more wool. Hux took off his coat, using the knife to cut long slits down the back. 

With a quick motion she was clothed, still staring at him like he was some strange creature himself. She would need a belt, or a tie to make it less of a drape, otherwise she was less naked and more looking like an actual human being. “Hurt?” she touched her chest. Maybe she could speak, he shook his head. 

“No.” he told her. He glanced behind him hearing the approaching small group. “Can you fly?” he asked. She didn’t seem to know what he meant. Hux held his arm out to the sky, pointing up. Her wings fanned out, the same white color, with subtle tan markings that looked almost like freckles. “Run. Don’t ever let a human see you.” He turned to his father as she backed away from the two other men. 

“See? I think the thing is healthy enough.” said the slaver. Bhrendol looked over her, then to Hux with a disgusted look. 

“You didn’t need to have of covered the stupid thing.” Hux looked back to her. “Too stupid to run too, grab it and lets weigh it and go. Might rip off the wings to ensure it won't ever flee.” Hux stepped up to his father. It seemed like a causal thing, the knife was easy, sharp and slipped through the man's ribs like it was made solely for killing him. For a moment his father looked down at the knife, before the slaver made a noise and the other man fell down blood streaming from his mouth as he struggled to speak. 

Hux turned on the slaver, he didn’t have a weapon on him, and he screamed as he tried to hold his arms up to defend his face. Only getting long gouges along his arms and cutting the vital veins therein. He died as the camp began to swarm with activity. She was still there whimpering. “I said FLY!” he yelled back, she flinched, leaping back and blinking in confusion as she gracefully floated. It seemed so easy. Not like birds, or the insane lengths men went through to try to mimic them. “RUN!” he snapped, holding the knife towards her. 

She turned away from him with a noise even he knew was fear, the strange insect whine coming from under the neck ruff as she leapt off the ground, soaring out into the night sky as clouds covered the moon, darkening the sky, and taking what they could see of her. Hux sighed as the rest of the slavers found him yelling, screaming. He dropped the long knife holding his hands up. So long as they were distracted with him, she got more time to flee. More time to run and that was good enough for him. He didn’t even feel it when one of them came up behind him and knocked him unconscious. 

When he woke it was to a prod, the sharp end of a sword as it dug lightly into his shoulder. Hux blinked as he came to, there was a suffocating amount of smoke as a part of the tent burned. “Why is this one tied up?” asked a voice. He tried to look at the figure but with the black smoke that carried the smell of burning corpses he couldn’t see them. They were huge, easily twice him, and he stared up at the figure. Others swarmed around him, carrying what few living ones there were. Leaving the corpses to burn. 

He wasn’t sure if he should beg for his life or not, but the sword retreated. “Cut him free, we will see why.” replied the figure in front of him. There was a stutter to his heart as who spoke came up behind him, slicing into the ropes that bound him. He didn’t try to flee, or attack, rubbing his wrists as he bent down to help one demi trying to carry a larger ‘cow’ demi, it probably wouldn’t live even if he tried, there was a stumbling aspect to its gait, leaving him to half drag the creature along with the one who cut him free. 

Once free of the tent Hux breathed in fresh air as he looked around at the minor army that had overtaken the slavers. Demi humans raced around the field taking out the few remaining slavers and killing them. Not sparing a single one of them as they begged for their lives. Their corpses for the main part were being dragged to a large pile, likely to be burned or mounted on pikes. Hux stared up at the large figure that surveyed the carnage. He looked like Rey, only larger and broad. He was near to the exact opposite of her, leaving him with black colors. 

Like her, he had markings and his were a bright vibrant blue color more like eye spots rather than the freckles that Rey had. Whatever ruff, or wool parts he had were covered entirely in black clothes designed for his form. With heavy boots, or possibly just the shell of them from how small the ‘feet’ were, and a very large broadsword strapped to his hip. That sword could have maybe served as a walking staff for Hux as the man fixed him with a dark look. While her eyes had been that same bright blue on his wings, this one had brown eyes, Hux blinked when he noted that it was the same color as the freckles on her wings, doctors perhaps swarmed up taking the poor creature. 

The one behind him came out, and Hux breathed out when he noticed what it was. A ‘wolf’ demi the creature was the size of a human. He had dark colors, only more shaggy with fur. The elongated muzzle and shaggier fur on it was only a passing semblance of a human. His ears were pointed up, and he wore similar colors as everyone else, all black, just like the creature staring down at him now. “Why were you tied up?” he asked plainly. Hux swallowed and knelt down face to the ground. 

“I killed their leader….and my father.” he told him plainly. Someone else came up near him but he didn’t dare look up. “I… freed one… like you, sir.” there was an intank of breath. 

“ _ What _ ?” Hux chanced a look up, another demi, this one a ‘horse’ stood by him, with armor all around it Hux looked back up to the one in front of him. He bent in half staring at Hux as he loomed over. “What did you say human?” 

“She was white, tan spots. I set her free.” he said and swallowed again. “She was like you.” he added when his eyes narrowed. “She ran that way, flying.” he gestured out. “I was not a part of this.” 

“He does look like one of the dead that were here before we attacked.” Commented the ‘horse’ in a female voice. She wore plated armor that unlike the rest was polished steel, like a horse, but with a human torso instead of head and neck. All well armored, with what looked like a pike strapped to her side, he couldn’t get a glimpse of her features nor of most of her coloring, however she put her arms over her torso in thought. “They appeared to have been killed by a thin blade.” 

“A carving knife.” Hux told her, she turned her helmeted head to him.

“What was her name?” the male asked. Hux grimaced. 

“I named her….” he replied. “I don’t think she was taught how to speak.” the male straightened looking away with a hiss of anger. “She made these clicking noises, like an insect whine.” Hux pursed his lips, trying to mimic the noise. The male straightened ogling back to him. 

“Should I execute him?” Hux breathed in as the female asked. 

“No.” Hux let out a breath. “You can stay, who are you?” Hux didn’t stand just yet bowing his head. 

“Armitage Hux.” the male’s eyes narrowed. “I did kill my father,” he reiterated. His father's reputation must be bigger than he knew of. “Please, let me prove my loyalty.” One nod, that was all he got, leaving him to sigh in relief and stand, warily by the horse. The male stared out in the way he gestured looking ready to go after her, but he had no idea if it had been hours or even days since Hux had freed her. 

“I am Kylo Ren, LORD Ren to you, King, sir, sire,” Hux gaped. He had heard of him, but he did not think that the tales were really true. Just another sort of grasp at demonizing an already dwindling species. “That is the direction of the capitol, it would be the only settlement from here to there.” 

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let them cripple her.” Hux said and looked away from the King as he turned back to the only human around. 

“Take him with us. We leave as soon as the bodies are burning.” The horse woman nodded, turning to him and finally dropping her hands. The king left, heading to the group of wounded barely alive creatures. 

“Phasma.” she stated, Hux nodded. “Can you walk?” Hux took a few steps, while he had been helping the demi he didn’t notice that from the blow he was likely concussed giving him a stumbling gait. “On the back.” she gestured behind her. He blinked and shook his head. “I will not repeat myself.” She roughly grabbed his shoulder, guiding him onto her back. “Hold on here, and here.” she gestured to leather straps along her back. 

“I am sorry.” he said, holding onto them she gave a very inhuman snort. “Maybe I should have let them cripple her.” he added quietly. She shook her head. 

“No, it is for the best. If she had been crippled, likely she would have died.” Hux stared at the back of Phasma, she ambled slowly over to the others. There were many being loaded up on long carts carried by other ‘horses’. They were loaded quickly, and Hux did doubt that any were going to make it to where they were going. “Tell me, why kill your father for one of us?” 

“I couldn’t let them hurt her. She… she was fragile.” he answered. “We… saw her transform, it was a scant hour.” Phasma nodded going pensive. 

“You betray your kind for us?” she asked. 

“Yes. What can I do for you all?” he asked. She made a sort of laugh, making him smile weakly. 

“That will be for the King to decide.” she answered. Once the corpses were piled and set alight using what smelled like tar. They left, fast and heading out, Hux wasn’t the only one looking back towards the city, but he knew the likelihood of the little one surviving. They’d find her corpse and use it, like they used everything. There were a lot of things he could do, none of which he thought could help with that poor creature he freed. She’ll die, and leave the world without just a little more magic. 


	2. Enemy Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has made very few friends in her lifetime but she knows friends are not something she can do. No friend wouldn't want to use her for what she was.

Rey swallowed and smiled brightly to the guard as he approached her. The familiar sort of orange uniform catching her sight as she paused. He was obviously heading for her and she had to repress a shiver of fear until she saw his face and relaxed. “Poe?” she called and he nodded finally coming close to her. He was carrying a small lunch pail as he came up to her with a bright smile. 

“Yes, it’s me, how are you doing?” he replied. She gave a shrug, no longer suffering under all the layers of clothes she had to wear as winter quickly worked into the world. 

“I’m doing well, I’m about to go look for work.” she told him. He nodded, and reached for his pail, opening it up and offering “What’s this?” she took it sniffing at it as he laughed at her. 

“Apple with spices.” he answered as she started nibbling. He seemed ecstatic as she got to the fruit and spices and wolfed it down with hardly tasting it. “My mom makes them.” he reached in and handed her another one. She looked at it and back at him. “It’s alright, I don’t like apples.'' he soothed. 

“Thank you. Breakfast was wearing thin.” Rey grinned to him eating the apple hand pie this time savoring the slightly warm pie. 

“Where do you plan on working?” she swallowed, licking her fingers before stopping. “No don’t tell me, just stay safe okay?” Rey nodded relaxing. “If you do want more, and have a few coppers, my mother’s shop is over on bakers row, it's the one with birds on it okay? Dame Damerons.” Rey nodded to him as he waved heading towards a small covered pavalon, she ate the last of the pie heading off towards the shopping districts. At a small round area were a bunch of tailors and she spied a donkey cart near one. 

Advertised with a tree it was Maz’s shop, and she went to the cart, not speaking as she helped out Finn, who lived with Maz. Rey thought they might be similar in ages, but she had no real clue about herself, other than she must hide herself. Right now she was wearing a thick covering that nearly covered her head to toe. From a hood, to a head scarf, and tan clothes. She even had two long drapes of fabric that helped to keep her more inhuman parts down. Then long pants, down to the boots that were pieced together with scrap cloth. 

Right now the cart held long thick rolls of wool, washed and picked clean of debris just waiting to become roving, and then spun into yarn. Dying wasn’t something here, all the dyers were out in the slums beyond the city's main wall, as the dyes that were used sometimes smelled rank and were forbidden from the main city for decades now. Finn hefted a sigh as he paid the young man on the donkey cart, and waved lightly to him. “Have a nose for these things?” Finn asked her, Rey shook her head. 

“No, I just was dropping by. So you need my help?” she asked, Finn looked over to the mass of wool sheets that took up the entire back entrance of the shop. Rey chuckled lightly at his face of dread. 

“Are you okay with just dinner?” he asked and she nodded. 

“Of course! It leaves a great weight off my mind.” she told him and headed in. Finn followed her in shutting the door just as Maz came down blinking to Rey and then smiling brightly. 

“OH! Rey thank goodness. I got a larger than normal shipment.” Maz explained and went to hug Rey, she backed away, leaving Maz frowning lightly. It was safer this way, and Rey grabbed up one sheet, fingering the wool. Her hands were actually uncovered, but not many people thought that, for she had very fine hairs on them. Maz thought it odd, her spinning or making roving with gloves on, but once she saw the results never thought twice about it again. 

“There are quite a few more people coming into the city, there are talks of something big going on with them. They are even pulling back soldiers, so a lot of ladies are going to want some good embroidery to look nice.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Rey said nodding.

“I can’t pay you for your time just yet, but I can feed you okay?” Rey nodded, taking up one of the sheets and taking it to a set of chairs and stools where her and Finn would make it into roving. Once she got a decent amount going she would start spinning and let Finn make the roving as she spun it into fine threads. Much finer than anyone else could make with wool it seemed like she could feel the tiny hairs with her own and guide them about smoothing them down and keeping them all strong. 

She discovered it when trying to repair some of her clothes and could only find frayed finger length ends of embroidery thread. She tried it with longer threads she was gathering from behind the alley where Finn discovered her, and offered her some food. Watching him back then doing the same thing now she found herself in a place where she might not get coins, but always got food. While Maz was not poor by any standards that Rey herself knew she seemed to either be saving, or scraping by. 

“Okay, I think we have a good buffer.” Finn told her and she nodded, taking the long tubes of roving to the vacant spinning wheel. Maz was speaking to a group of women all looking over her threads, she was the only one who only had threads and nothing else. Everyone else had them almost as an afterthought. There were various small hand spindles, and one of the occasions of splurging Maz bought a well made spinning machine that Rey settled by. 

It took Maz or Finn half an mark to adjust the machine, Rey grabbed a bit of stray threads that always seemed to hang around and adjusted the machine quickly before settling down at it within just a few moments. Placing her feet on it she started drafting the roving, spinning it while keeping one of her hands on the yarn while paddling the spinning wheel with her feet. Keeping the yarn take up into the bobbin of the spinning wheel long so she spun it part way by hand as the machine itself spun. This way, with her hands, and the tiny hairs on them, she spun everything so tightly not a single hair of the wool went out of place. 

Rey had placed many cones of thread when Maz came in to examine her work. “I’ll never know how you can get the thread so tight.” Maz said, trying to pull apart the thread. Later she might spin them into yarn, but right now they were going to head out to be dyed once Rey was finished. “Are you ready to take a break?” Rey smiled at her , finishing up another cone of thread, she had decimated more than half of the roving. 

“I could use something to drink.” Rey answered Finn groaned as he stood stretching. Rey stood copying him although she didn’t feel like she needed it. She didn’t even tire in the same way as people. Maz nodded, waving her and Finn upstairs, staying behind at the moment to close the shop up. Rey smelled the meal cooking on a small hearth, nothing much more than a thick porridge that could have things added to it through the day to keep a steady meal going. “Go ahead and eat if you need to!” Maz yelled up as Finn went to the small water pump to the side getting a small bucket of water so they could get a drink from clay mugs. 

“Hungry?” Finn asked and Rey licked her lips, thinking. 

“If you are sure I can take some.” Finn smiled back nodding and getting her some of the meal, placing a thick slice of cold, but fully cooked bacon top as she drank down a few mugs of water. She smiled at him taking the warm bowl and settling down just as Maz came up heading right for the porridge as Finn settled by her with his own bowl. 

“Eugh, dealing with those snooty women is always so difficult. But we got a really important person today.” Maz told her and Rey nodded, taking a wooden spoon from Finn and blew on her spoon to cool it down.

“Who?” Rey asked and watched as Maz sat down inhaling her food without much thought to how hot it was. Finn was stirring his quite a bit to cool his down, adding in a little of the cold water to help it cool faster. 

“A duchess, she is very close to those in the castle and said she had recommended the head ladies there to shop here. So we may be getting in actual royals very soon.” Maz said, she smiled very encouragingly to Rey. “Now Rey,” her heart started ramping up and she mentally had to stop the reaction that might show something odd. “Would you like to live with us? We have the space.” Rey blanched eyes going wide as her hands stalled in eating. 

“I…” Rey began to inhale the food quickly trying to think of anything she could say to get out of the situation. “I…” She flinched away from Finn’s hand as he tried to place it on her shoulder. “NO! I can’t!” she backed away shaking as both of them held up their hands. “Don’t touch me!” she said a moment later, she was panting from her mouth, inhaling the smells of the two, the porridge and more from the room. 

“Rey it's okay.” Maz told her she put her hand to Finn who started to get up. “It will be okay, he was just trying to comfort you.” Rey shivered looking to the door and then back to the two. “Are you okay?” Rey didn’t want to lose this weekly, or more opportunity to have a ‘safe’ place to eat and be. But she also couldn’t entirely trust the two, she knew she couldn’t trust them. If they knew what she was, they wouldn’t hesitate in hurting her. “Alright… would you come tomorrow to finish the rest?” she asked gently. 

“I… I will see.” Rey fled, racing down the stairs and heading out the door, shutting it behind her as she raced away from the two. They didn’t try to follow her, and she hid herself as her flight took way to much attention as well. Rey wanted, more than wanted really, to get out of the city. But that required money, that required more than casual interactions with people. It needed provisions, a plan, a guide even. Leaving her at far more risk than she could have and be completely safe. They would all hunt her down and tear her apart until she was nothing, Rey shivered, back shaking under the layers of fabric with a dry sort of rustle. She glanced up and froze looking at Poe as he stared at her.

“OH!” He smiled at her. “Rey, did someone spook you?” she breathed out and in. “Tell me who, I’ll throw him in jail for the night.” a relaxing feeling entered her as she slowly extracted herself from the small area, trying to smile towards Poe. “I got word of a suspicious person running off from a shop…” He didn’t try to touch her, even backing away to keep her at arms distance leaving her to relax further. 

“Yes, I’m okay. I just got scared.” she answered lamely, feeling completely foolish at her reaction. No matter how right it felt. 

“Did you find someplace to work?” she nodded. “Good, and they fed and paid you?” 

“Not paid.” she answered and he sighed. 

“Well you did get food at least?” she nodded. “Good, that’s good. If you do like, my mom could always use some help on some days.” Rey stopped panting, smelling the street, the people, filth, and Poe himself. 

“I guess… if I get those pies.” she answered and he laughed warmly. 

“Is there a place I can find you usually? Not like where you stay at night, but if I need to find you?” Rey first felt a short sense of panic but relaxed. Poe still didn’t try to come close, instead just smiled waiting for her to answer. 

“When I can’t… find work I beg by the… slave market.” she answered. He nodded to her. 

“Good place, people feel guilty, see you, give you things?” she smiled back to him, finally nodding furiously. It was where she got the better things, but it wasn’t a job, and whatever coin she got was quickly spent on what she needed now. Which at the moment was a belt, something to help keep her back down without damaging her. 

“That is on the end of my route, but I can push it just a little to see you.” Poe motioned away, and she moved to the side allowing him to pass by her. “Are you good for the day then, I don’t have much I can give you.” 

“No! I’m good! I’m going to head to my… safe place.” she told him. He nodded looking away from her. 

“I’ll be sure not to look okay? Just stay safe.” Rey smiled brightly feeling fully at ease as she slipped away from Poe, and he didn’t even glance towards her at all as she got away from him, and further towards the slums. What once could have been a small fort just before the city was now a part of it with a crumbling tower that had no real way up to the caved out top. That top was where she made her nest, and where only thieves could get near, but never seemed to care so much about her things. 

The entire bottom was taken up by a family, and she passed the entrance there to the side. Night was just falling, and she looked around wildly. No one would be heading out just yet, not until it was well into night. Bending down and taking her shoes off, tying them around her shoulders before she gave another look around and latched her fingers into a hand hold onto the side of the building. Anyone who might look might think her the most skilled of thieves, able to traverse nearly sheer walls. 

However her feet were not anything like a humans, while her hands were, her feet were a more tripedal sort of thing, that was fully like an insect. They gripped the stone easily leaving her to traverse to her nest with a sigh of relief. Another reason why she enjoyed it, was that while some skilled others could get in, it would be much harder for them, but not for her. All the buildings around her were long and low workhouses for the poorest of the poor. The tower was the tallest building until the next part of the city, leaving her feeling far more safe. 

Her nest was full of various lengths of wood, old tin roofing, and holed fabric that created a ramshackle sort of tent that left her well shielded from the elements when she needed it. Rey looked around, looking around the roofs for anyone who might look towards her. Not a soul really looked up, but it was still too unsafe not to check first. Slowly undressing some of the layers Rey sighed further fully welcoming the chilly air compared to the sweltering that she used to do before winter. 

Rey fanned out her back, slowly groaning in relief when she could have them more free. Rey was not human, her resemblance to them was enough to pass with all the covering, but she still was not human. As a demi human, Rey was a moth. With large mostly white wings, she was one of the most rare creatures that she personally knew of existing. She could not expose herself, she couldn’t let anyone know, or she would be dead. Her kind were the most sought after, and because of that they as far as she knew were decimated. There was only one more known to her and he was this country's most feared and hated enemy. 

Rey relaxed her wings, heading deeper into her nest to check over the small supply of coins she had, nothing more than clipped pennies, she knew it would be a long time before she could afford much of anything unless she got lucky picking over trash scavenging for anything of use for anyone let alone just her. Carefully she began to groom herself, righting the thick ruff that went down her chest between her breasts. It felt wonderful to do, and she unwrapped her arms exposing her more thick ruffed arms as well. 

Next was her hood and scarf, showing that she did not have human-like ears, they were more small than human ears, without the ‘shell’ ears and instead more like just a nub that covered the small ‘hole’ for the ear. Two long antennae came out from under her hair near to her temples and she carefully righted them, fingers soothing the most abused parts of herself. Hands coming around to go over her wings soothing them from the bound way she had to put them. Now relaxing further she wiggled her toes, wishing she could just have a boot shell leaving her to not have to wear the things. 

But early on, they had found her steps in mud from the shell of a boot she wore then, and there was a lot of searching, a lot of panic on her part, and it had been a full year before that calmed down. Leaving her to have to take more safety precautions. She could only relax here, where not a single soul could see her without noticing. Rey watched as the moon rose staring at it with longing. It always raised above the Dark Kingdom first, like it was a light of hope. She wanted to fly there, lift off the ground, but she glanced down to the outerwall where soldiers patrolled on the outside looking down at the countryside, and to the slums below them. She would need to pass from one of the gates, it had been so long since she flew, and she knew in some way if her wings were damaged she could be crippled for life. 

It was in the same way she knew what she liked most to eat, which was strictly not human, almost rotting meat, and knew how to breathe. Verging on the level of instinct, if she had those. Rey let out a breath and hid herself, wrapping herself back up in layers before she slept. It was no good all her hiding if someone spotted her while she couldn’t hide herself and slept. Maybe once the snow fell in full she could try to fly, when everyone but her would be miserable and be looking down to trudge through the slush and snow. Where the vision of the men on the wall and anyone else looking would be obscured with snow blinding.

Rolling herself into a tight ball Rey breathed out, she would have to try to apologize to Maz and Finn. But she couldn’t live with them, she could not ever risk being too near to people, if they knew she was what she was... Not a single person, even good as they appeared to be wouldn’t hurt her. She was worth her weight and more in pure gold. Just a single finger of her body could pay for one of those mansions even. As much as she wanted to trust, and wanted friends and family- Rey swallowed thickly at the sudden memory- she could not ever risk it. Her allure was worth more dead than to be ‘just a friend’. 

  
  
  
  
  


Poe hefted out a light sigh as he got home. His mother was just putting away all kinds of bread to proof over the night in a warm oven. She smiled at him waving him towards his dinner. “Did anything happen today?” she asked and he nodded. 

“Three birds flew out today, once it snows more should be able to fly.” he told her. Her smile was wonderful at that and Poe rubbed the back of his head. 

“Any word on the littlest one?” she asked, her voice going much more quiet. Poe frowned thinking, and shook his head. 

“Not since we saw her tracks, we know she might be alive, and…” he looked to the older woman thinking. “Well she is smart, she won’t risk a single thing to jeopardize herself again.” 

“Poor thing she must feel so alone.” Poe nodded eating. “Do you need another set of cards?” 

“Yes, I handed them all out today in fact. It looks like a lot of the new pulls into the city despise that place.” his mother was careful as she pried a few loose bricks out, taking out the thick cards from inside of the hidden space. There were only five left there, and each one was covered in a wax paper sheath. She didn’t make them, but when she bought wheat, and more for her baking they came in from another source. Unknown to them at that, just for the extra caution, all they knew was that it came all from the Dark Kingdom. 

“I’ll be getting more soon I’m sure.” she told him as he pocketed the packs of thick covered cards. “Are you sure you haven’t found the little bird?” she asked him. 

“I don’t know, I mean there are at least four beggars I’ve seen that might work. I keep my distance and have been trying to build up trust enough…” Poe stalled blinking. 

“What is it?” 

“One I’m focusing on, I found her on the streets a while ago, and she spends all year long covered. Just today I saw something strange with her.” His mother settled down by him, pushing a tankard of weak cider to him waiting. “She had fled from where she worked like the demons themselves were chasing her. I found her in a very small wedge alley shaking. But there was a sort of rattle to it, like dry rustle.” His mother closed her eyes thinking. 

“No noise, like a sort of cricket whine?” she asked. 

“I wasn’t there before she stopped to calm herself.” his mother nodded and sighed. “Familiar?” 

“Possibly. Anything else?” she asked. Poe frowned thinking of everything he knew of Rey.

“She likes your apple pies? She doesn’t like people near her at all and gets extremely tense. Do you think it might be her?” His mother grimaced. 

“I don’t want to get his hopes up for nothing.” she answered. Poe nodded to her finishing up his dinner. “No one suspects anything of you?” 

“No of course not. They won’t notice anything that wasn’t in front of their face. But if it isn’t the little bird then we will have someone to keep an eye on the market. She told me she begs there, I’m sure she will like getting more coins rather than just food.” 

“That is good at least. Do what you can, if this girl is the bird then… we need to be extremely careful.” Poe nodded. 

“Make more pies for her?” she chuckled. 

“Of course, then I’ll make some twists. I have to prepare for the last feast anyways, it's in just a few days.” Poe touched his chin thinking. 

“If I can discover if she is the bird, that would be an excellent time to take off with her.” 

“Just be carefull with those.” she gestured to his chest where he had hid the cards. “Make sure they are sympathetic and on our level.” 

“Mom I know.” 

“This bird can be a plant.” she stated. 

“Mom.” 

“Just be careful, I don’t want to lose you.” Poe sighed, and hugged her as he stood. Heading out to clean himself and then go to bed for the night. 

“I know. I’m sure she will love the pies.” 

“I’ll put some extra apples, they crave fruits as much as they like flesh…” Poe thought a moment as his mother dropped off probably thinking of the same thing. 

“Isn’t the bacon going bad?” Her face lit up and she nodded. “I’ll take that up and give it to her, better than getting fat right?” she laughed letting him go for the night. He didn’t sleep here, or live with his mother, but he did eat with her, it was an excellent excuse to be in steady contact with the group he truly belonged to. When one was part of the Dark Kingdom and the people who freed slaves, one had to be very careful. But if he was caught and tortured the only people he would know would be his sole ‘sect’ his mother and that was as far as he would know for sure. It was a safety, he only could get the vaguest hint of other ones in the city, which was always for the best. 


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey starts to trust the people around her more when she finds out that they might be more sympathetic to the cause of demi humans.

Rey grinned brightly at the group of children around her, it would do well to distract the children as their parents browsed the slaves, demi’s, all nearby. She made ten pinwheels just before the morning light, using scrap paper and sticks, using ever present pins to attach the paper to the sticks. She handed them out to the kids as she settled behind the long forgotten stone counter taking up the small puppets she made as well. 

“OHhhh!” the kids settled down in a small semi circle, she never really saw the same one twice so she was safe to tell the same little tale over and over again. 

“Now not that long ago we all were unafraid of the dark. For the immortal king Snoke reigned.” Rey began as the children settled down fully smiling as she played with the puppets. Snoke was a truly old looking puppet with a dried radish for a head. “He was tied to the King of Darkness.” they kids gasped as she brought out a moth puppet, Rey had made sure to pay extra attention to it, making it look like how she would imagine one of her kind would look. Using thin layers of tissue paper with black paint for his wings. 

She pieced together black clothes from at least ten different types of fabric. It did look frightening at least to the little kids in front of her. “This magic tie allowed the immortal king to live, but the dark king did not like that. He was nothing more than a tool for Snoke to use.” Rey glanced up to the market, no one was listening to her. “One day the Ashen hero decided to visit, and pay tribute to King Snoke.” Dropping the Dark King Rey pulled out one that was full of grey and moth eaten fabrics. He had a carved stick in its hand, as she bowed it to Snoke. 

“He had heard of the immortal king and he came from very distant lands, so distant it took a whole generation he said to bring him forth to our lands.” Rey said settling Snoke down to grab the moth one. “He wields the ashen blade, and it is that blade that travels down to another, and another, allowing the Ashen hero to live forever and be our guard and guide now that King Snoke is gone. It is said they lived in the castle for many generations. But the Dark king was wanting free, he did not want to be nothing more than a slave to the whims of King Snoke and now the Ashen hero.

“So one day this hero placed his blade down, to meet with possible people to pass his blade down.” Rey said and plucked the blade from the puppet setting it down on the counter. “For it had to be taken up by another like that to seek someone who could wield it for it was a true magic blade. The only one to survive the years.” She put the tiny sword into the Dark Kings ‘hand’ with a tiny little gasp from the kids. “He saw his opportunity and took it. He created a great darkness that overtook the entire castle. What truly happened there we do not know.” Rey attacked the other puppets with the Dark King in a comical fashion getting the kids to laugh at it as she ‘cut up’ the puppets. They were made in pinned parts, say for the moth one, allowing her to do this. 

“But we know everyone was dead, leaving only the blade, the current hero now took it up. He was granted all the memories of the previous one, and now…” she pulled out a smaller replica of the sword. “Now he must seek another that can take up the blade. So that we can strike back against the King.” she flourished it getting another titter. “Perhaps you,” she pointed to one child. “Or you,” she pointed to another. “Or YOU!” she reached beyond the stone counter to gently proud the chest of one child who went down in fit of laughter. “Will be the next one, who shall beat the Dark King and rule this Kingdom?” 

She bowed handing down the fake sword to the young child she poked who took it running quickly to his parents. Rey wasn’t showered with coins, but she was showered with sweets and candies that she could trade for better food from some of the other beggars. Rey put away the small puppets in a hidden portion of the stone counter, no one tried to steal them or mess with them. Once the children came back from their families she did get a few clipped pennies which was better than nothing and she could maybe finally grab some scrap leather to fashion into a belt with her store of coins. 

Once the kids had left now some in tow with slaves, she blinked towards the sound of clapping, blanching for a moment until she saw the guard that was there was Poe. “That was well done.” he told her, smiling brightly and heading up towards her. “I got you more pies!” he told her and she perked up smiling at him. 

“Really? I get to have them?” He laughed offering her a small basket he carried. Rey looked from the basket to him. 

“We had some bacon going bad too, I hope you have a way to cook it?” he asked. Rey reached out grabbing the basket and then flushed as Poe chuckled. “It’s okay.” he soothed quickly when she froze, holding the basket to her chest. 

“I’m sorry.” she told him holding up the basket to inhale the scent of what was within it. She could taste the slightly rotting bacon through the layers of wax paper around it and swallowed down drool. It was just another thing that proved she wasn’t human and never would be. She could down rotting meat, and raw at that with no problem. While everyone else seemed to die, or get very sick from it. She jerked her head up from it and then back to Poe, quickly diving her hand into the basket to grab one of the pies, eating it quickly as he watched. 

“Look, would you mind taking this too?” he asked, and held out some kind of wax paper packet. “Just remember the story you told once full dark hits.” he told her as she took it. “If you like it, then I would like to talk tomorrow, I might have more for you then okay?” 

“Okay Poe, thank you very much.” Rey answered and smiled at him. He motioned her off and she nodded, running off. Once she was more well hidden Rey dug around in the basket finding the bacon and began to eat it. Something in her stomach, almost always slightly aching was quickly soothed with it. Despite it being rotting meat, or near to it, it tasted wonderful to her, leaving her to sigh in pure relief as she ate it all. She slipped the wax packet into her clothes, licking her hands as she downed the pies, all just a bit more full of apple than crust this time. Poe didn’t ask for the basket back, but she could keep it in case he wanted it back. 

Rey hesitated before heading towards Maz’s shop not really eager to repeat the previous day. She didn’t want to be pressed to live among people, she wanted to be free, but that wasn’t going to happen for years. Slowly gaining coins until she could buy everything she needed all at once and run. Maz’s shop wasn’t as busy as yesterday, leaving Finn to sweep the front looking up to her as she walked towards him. She still had the basket, it would be useful, and she did hope he would let her keep it. 

“Rey?” he asked loudly, she hung her head. “Thank the… Ashen One you are okay.” he said touching his chest and sighing. “I’m sorry if I upset you.” 

“No… it’s okay. I shouldn’t have run.” she told him and smiled weakly. “You were just being kind.” 

“I’m just glad you came back.” he told her. 

“Still need spinning done?” she asked. Finn nodded to her, and she hefted out a breath, following him back inside. All the wool had been turned to loose balls of roving leaving her to be able to spin them up without worrying about spinning too fast for Finn to keep up. Maz glanced up from her main shop to Rey and gave a relieved smile as she ducked to the spinning wheel. Finn went to her speaking quietly to her as Rey started working. 

“Did you get food today?” Maz asked Rey, she ducked down nodding. “Good, Rey I am sorry if you felt scared about staying here.” She looked up to Maz and back down. “You have your reasons, but just know… we are here, and we will stay open for you.” Rey smiled towards Maz, giving the smallest of nods to her. “Still thank you for your work. The person we’ve been waiting for is actually heading in, we got notice to be very clean.” Maz grinned at her. 

“Yes ma’am.” Rey spoke and frowned. “I am sorry I just… ran.” Maz shook her head. 

“No no, I understand.” Maz raised her hand heading towards Rey who flinched leaning away from her before she stopped with a sad look. “I am sorry again, I know not your story, but, as I said. I am here, so is Finn. We will help you. No questions, you are a wonderful asset to us.” Rey swallowed, nodding quietly again. “Don’t forget to get some dinner for your trouble here, I’ll be able to pay you some real coin if I sell to this lady. Might even finally get a commission!” 

“Thank you, I’m just glad to have a place… to be out of the cold.” Rey replied watching Maz as she left to watch the front again. Finn gave a shrug to her, looking like he wanted to hug her but stayed where he was. 

“How… how about you and us spend the Last Feast together? We’ve been saving all our coin for this one.” Rey blinked to him. “Planning on a big one to thank you in particular.” Rey perked up staring at him with wide eyes. “We were going to try to spring it on you, but after yesterday, I told Maz it would be a good idea just to tell you.” 

“OH, I’ve never had a feast with anyone.” Rey answered. “But people are very generous during the week.” Finn chuckled, nodding. “I think that is okay, so long as I go home.” 

“That is okay, we just wanted to thank you a lot, since we can’t pay you. There just weren’t that many people just buying thread, Maz was going to break down and start making ribbons.” Rey shrugged and went back to spinning, concentrating on feeling the turn of the yarn rather than the shop around her. The short snippets she overheard almost infected into her, the gaggle of ladies were excited, speaking over each other in their joy. Once they left Maz was near to dancing into the back of the shop. 

“That is wonderful!” Rey shivered edging away from Maz’s antics. The old woman paused just as Finn held out one of the mugs with a hot tea towards Rey. He was at arms length as she took it inhaling the smell of hot water and tea. There was a lemony, sort of citrus taste to the smell but there wasn’t any sugar. Leaving the tea to be bitter, but she didn’t mind too much. Sugar was, well not recently, a rare treat. 

“So they liked the threads?” Rey asked carefully as Maz settled herself down. 

“Yes, the lady is a princess from the south, she was called by the Ashen Hero to here to start the Kingdom up again. All new blood that we don’t have since the death of Snoke. Good riddance.” Rey blinked to Maz and she looked to Rey with wide eyes. “Anyways.” Maz followed quickly. “The lady brought with her a great amount of unspun silk, she wants them dyed and has them outside the city, but with no one good enough…” Maz gestured to her. “Until now to Spin them to thread.” Rey straightened sipping at the tea. 

“She is going to send a sample to us, you Rey, to spin and if she likes you will become the main spinner for the Kingdom’s new royals.” A newer strange feeling came to Rey as she blushed staring into her cup. The two stared at her looking to each other for the moment. “You won't ever have to go to the castle.” Maz told her quickly. “But you will get plenty of coins, I promise.” 

“They really like it?” she asked quietly, looking to Maz and smiling. 

“Yes, your linen ones they truly enjoyed. But wool? They’ve wanted something to knit with and yours were so fine the ladies just nearly fainted with joy.” It must be pride inside of her since the emotion made her feel fairly wonderful, it wanted to make her forget the wariness she must do in her life. Maz grinned at Rey again before heading back to the shop, Rey flinched when she heard the clink of coin and the older woman came back around handing Rey a few pieces of silver. 

“There, I can finally pay you, be sure to get something you need okay?” Rey looked down at the coins, she had gotten silver before, but that was quickly spent on food she felt like she needed to eat in order not to starve. “There will be gold if you are good at making silk threads.” Maz told her and Rey breathed out heavily in and out. 

“I don’t know what to say.” Rey told her and smiled. Drinking down the more chilled tea and grinning brightly. “Thank you for letting me work here?” Rey slipped the coins into a small pocket as Finn stood heading to a small cupboard. She watched as from a small, and very much secret compartment he pulled out an extremely similar wax packet that Poe had given her. He held it out to her. 

“Here, do you know the tale of the Dark King?” he asked her. Rey stared at him, hand reaching out to take it blankly. He put the thing into her limp hand. “When you look at it in the dark, just before the moon rises you will see what we are really about, and I hope you do trust me and Maz.” Rey breathed out shakily. Setting the mug down she slipped the card into her clothes near the other one, slowly heading out with minimal goodbyes. 

She had yet to look at the card, she had yet to imagine such things existed. It could all be a lie, crafted to catch her after all. She could not trust them, and trust that they meant well. Rey came to her begging spot looking over the far more quiet slave market. It would be awhile before more would come in, as they were extremely hard to come by and getting more and more rare as time went on. There were breeders, but as they could not keep up with demand, their stocks were a faint chilling memory of pain and suffering in Rey. It was a newer day, from a tense night of staring at the cards, not wanting to open them until it was far to late. She still could not trust them. 

Rey did not like to dwell on them, but with how quiet it was, one old lady dropping pennies into her hands, the memories kept brushing into her. It was her earliest memories, knowing that the smell around her wasn’t ‘food’ wasn’t ‘right’ and was horrible. But further on, not long after she had come here, knowing she had to keep herself hidden from all humans, she had seen one little thing. It was tiny looking, and made noises that struck deep inside of her like knives as it cried. At the moment she saw it, she could not stop herself from following those that bought it, paying in pure gold to the castle. To a high window at night as she watched and heard the little thing cry, wanting, needing, having to try to save it. 

Looking like a human baby but maybe half as small and with longer arms and entirely green colored it cried in a high squeal that sounded a lot like the shriek of one of the new steam engines. She knew what it was, just like with breathing, just like with knowing what to eat, that it was like her. Not mature, and just a tiny little baby that needed help. It was confused, scared and hurt. Rey watched as human ‘mages’ tore it apart. Taking it into the most disparate pieces to use so that they could do ‘magic’. Do ‘miracles’ and more. That was how she knew without a doubt that she could not ever trust anyone. They would do to her what they did to the baby, and she wouldn’t ever be anything living. She was not a sentient being to anyone, she was nothing more than a tool to use. 

As far as she knew those same people that killed that child were not back in the city, looking for ways to gain magic, hunting demi’s that had even the smallest spark of it and using them exactly how Snoke used the Black King. Rey wasn’t sure, but she could think that maybe the fat, bulgy man she recalled in her nightmares had done that. Rey was a bit shaken out of her moldering thoughts as she heard her name being called. Poe was approaching her, letting her drop all the bad memories and thoughts for the moment. 

“Hey Rey, just heading out to lunch.” He told her. Rey perked up, and he gave a helpless sort of shrug making her hunch back down. “Hey, I might not have anything, but my mom does need help today.” He patted his lunch pail. “If you like I can take you there and eat on the walk.” 

“Oh, is… is she nice like you?” she asked him and he laughed. 

“Nicer, I told her you really liked the apple pies, and put just a bit more filling in the ones I gave you.” Rey thought for a moment, anything that would let her hot have to think more about her situation. Let her not have to worry about someone discovering her. “Come on, please? She really hates that I got a job as a guard.” he prompted. Rey checked her puppets, even if no one seemed interested in them she made sure to make sure they were safely stowed and there. 

“Alright, thank you.” she stood walking over with Poe as he ate, making her stomach rumble a little bit. “I’ll have to buy some food.” she said as he looked over at her. “If you don’t mind?” 

“Not at all! Where do you want to eat?” he asked her. Rey bit her lip not wanting to say. “Meat?” he asked and she blinked at him. “You did get all that bacon eaten right?” Rey flushed looking away from him. 

“Uhh yes, but meat yes.” Poe laughed lightly. 

“Well there is a nice shop that is where my mom and I buy our meat, they don’t sell demi meat. Never have and never will.” she straightened smiling towards Poe. He was eating a sandwich, leaving her stomach rumbling when she noticed he had thin slices of cured sausages. The hard looking cheese turned her off however, that was something she could not process inside of her at all, leaving her stomach hurting and aching for days afterwards. She followed him towards not exactly a shop area but near to the workhouses, she gave a glance towards her home, as he stopped at one. “Here, trust me, you will get a good deal.” 

Rey nodded, heading in and seeing all the cuts, the chill and people browsing the meat. She should buy something that wouldn’t be strange to eat near people. Like cured meats, but there was a large sign advertising meat that looked beyond the pale that no one really was looking over. Heavily discounted Rey could definitely afford more than enough for herself today and even tomorrow. Maybe the next day as well, if the weather held out to be colder and colder. Truly maggot ridden meat she did not eat, but something that was close to it? Rey licked her lips calling the butcher over. 

He wasn’t a large man, wiry with dark hair and a sparse beard. His clothes were immaculate, leaving Rey feeling a bit more at ease. “May… I purchase this?” she asked him, pointing to half of a small pig. He looked her over just once and smiled nodding. 

“Yes you can, you’ll need to cook it tonight though.” Rey nodded to him. “I think four silver? Actually…” he looked over the pig. “Let's go for three and a half.” Rey dug out the coins handing four over to him, the whole of what she earned today and what Maz had given her. With a hand held device that looked like a vegetable slicer he cut one silver coin in half handing it back to her. Rey flushed when she could barely carry it out getting a lot of looks from everyone there. “Stay safe and well!” the man called after her as she struggled to exit. Poe burst into a small laugh as she did so, making her feel far worse. This wasn’t normal was it? 

“You have a place to keep that?” he asked her. Rey swallowed, pointing to the tower. Seen just above the shops and buildings around it. Maybe she could share the pig with the family in the bottom of it, that wouldn’t give her as much. But there was a lot of rope, and a still attached pulley system on the tower. She only used it when she had a lot of scrap and things to make her place better. “Oh, is there a way to get it up there?” his smile was bright, kind, she shivered. 

“If you don’t look, do you promise to help me?” she asked, his smile fell but he nodded setting aside the now empty lunch pail. He held his hands out, and she dropped the carcass into them. He grimaced when the smell hit him, but she guided him to the tower. “Please… don’t look.” 

“Here…” Poe pulled out a handkerchief, large enough to cover his face and tied it over his eyes. “See? Better?” Rey reached out, hesitating before she touched a bare part of his arm. 

“Yes, thank you.” His smile was bright leaving her feeling excited and at ease finally. In all her years of life she felt like she could trust someone. He was doing so much to put her at ease, and no matter what her mind screamed that it could be a trap. If it was one, she could still run. There were other towers like this, though not all in as good condition as this one. All she truly needed was the pennies she had. “It won't take long.” Rey slipped her shoes off, looking around wildly. It was the first time she was going up during the day. But she was quick, and fast. 

“Up on the top yet Rey?” Poe called up to her. Rey slid the rope into the pulley and dropped it down to him. 

“Yes! Tie it up and I’ll bring it up here!” Once it was up there Rey paused over just how she could get down. She settled on setting up the pulley so that she could draw the rope out fully and take it with her. “Don’t look again… please.” she called down. Everyone would be in the houses, she didn’t see, hear, or taste anyone else nearby. She looked down at Poe who blinded himself once more, staring away from her though looking tense. Her pants did hide her feet when not in the boots and she could walk on the material lessening the strange tract. It was mostly stone all around, only with small bits of accumulated dirt and debris. 

“Just be careful okay?” Rey usually glided down, careful, and knowing that no one was awake when she did so. It helped to keep her from getting too restless and too… weak in her wings. Using the pulley and rope she took off some of the fine fur on her hands but got down safely. Landing in a huff near him, Rey shoved her shoes back on, and relaxed further. No one was screaming, no one was calling for blood. “Are you down?” he asked. 

“AH! Yes!” Poe smiled and slowly drew the blindfold off his face smiling at her. Rey folded the rope around her chest tying it off as he nodded to her, putting away his handkerchief. “Thank you for helping me.” she smiled at him. “AH! I bet you have to get back to work right?” 

“Yeah you are right, can you make it to my mom’s place yourself?” he asked. Rey nodded hesitating before reaching out and touching his arm. 

“Thank you again.” she said he nodded letting her race off towards bakers row. She might move, but she truly wanted to trust him. It was only when she got to the entrance of the bakery, a very popular place by the amount of people going in and out of it. She wasn’t sure if she left markings at the base that could give her away. It left a low panic in her as she went along the side towards where the exhaust for the large ovens was. She could still run, it would take time for word, and she would have time to run. No matter how hard it would be to leave everything she had there. 

  
  


Poe looked after Rey as she ran, looking happier than he had ever seen her. He carefully looked around the bottom of the tower with a frown. He found only a single track, and it only had one toe, but it was what he was told to look for. By more than one place, he kicked it, obscuring the track before looking around. LIstening to the sound of distant machines, and those that were in the workhouses. No one was on the streets as he made another pass. Obscuring another mark that was old, but could be interpreted as a track from her kind. 

If she got to his mother's bakery and helped she would be able to find more cues that could indicate that she was the one they were all looking for. But he would have to be careful, gain her trust more, and make sure not a single other person thought of it. Poe thought for a long time in just what to do as he went about his rounds. Ignoring a small home where one scared looking demi was being ferried with a smile towards the one ferrying them inside. This was the real reason why he was a guard, if he was on this route, he could just ‘ignore’ them helping slaves escape.

Rey might not notice, but they were trying to form a symbol that could be worn and maybe be lied about as a religious symbol. Though that would require more lies, and the building of places that could be centers of worship. So not entirely smart as one would think. Poe went back to the guardhouse, now done with his shift. The other guards, for the night, he believed were a part of the rebellion, but he as always couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t just go up and ask them after all. If they gave him a card, then he knew. When he gave them out he was sure of people’s sympathy, or as sure as he could be. 

He was tense when he went back to his mother, she was practical dancing. Singing an off key song that left him gaping at her as she kneaded the dough for the next day. “Come come come!” she waved him in, and he settled down, looking down at the meal she had out for him. It contained about half a dozen of his personal favorites of her baking. Tiny little egg custard pies that were about the size of a large coin. She must be extremely happy with him. 

“So did you confirm it then?” she spun flour dusting all over the bread with a flourish he hadn’t seen for years. “Mom?” he reached for one of the egg pies eating it as she hummed. 

“She’s such a sweet little bird.” she answered smiling. “We have to get her out and to him.” Poe sighed in relief and a giddy joy entering into him. “We have to be so careful, we can’t take chances at all.” 

“Can we send word out?” he asked her. Eating another egg-pie. “Make him know there is… her out there?” she frowned over the large pile of dough, separating it out into loaf sizes, and small bun sizes. “It might make him happy?” 

“We can try. It might be a long while.” she answered. “It’s so hard to get a message out there.” 

“I know, I could always run there.” 

“NO!” Poe was a bit taken aback at the sharp comment she made. “She trusts you, you can not just leave.” He nodded. “Understand me?” 

“Yes I understand.” she nodded letting him off the hook. “Anything else?” 

“Yes, it is just a rumor, but the Ashen One is choosing another candidate since the last one is now failing.” Poe grimaced. It seemed like it had just been a few years. He had told them all that the choice usually lasted a lifetime of a person and it was like passing down objects from a grandfather to grandson. However after learning more about Snoke, he wasn’t sure that even that old bastard was dead. This Ashen one hadn’t been seen since he had taken another vessel, now that there were more people coming back in, it looked like it really was time for another one of them. 

“I haven’t heard that. But it is hard to get close to the castle, I get all my orders from the captain and he gets them via messenger.” She sighed looking up and away in thought. 

“Maybe we can get into the castle with the Feast. We are all supposed to send our best food there. My twists are to die for, so those will be it. If we get in, then word will be all the easier to send out to the city.” 

“And more dangerous.” she smiled at him sadly. 

“Just keep an eye out for her will you? Protect her.” Poe swallowed nodding. “Did she get good food today?” 

“Ah, not today that I know of,” he answered. “She would seem really suspicious to buy half rotten meat.” 

“Yes, I know, but… if we found several others, we could all chip in.” Poe shook his head. “Oh, Poe I know. It's a decent thought at least.” 

“See you tomorrow mom. Don’t scare her either. Otherwise she might not like me.” she chuckled weakly. Poe gave her a light hug taking the rest of the egg pies and eating them on the way to his place for the night, a guard barracks that left him listening carefully to the few willing to banter at night before he slept. 

  
  


Rey stared out at the darkness just before the moon rose. She swallowed thickly as she opened up one of the wax packets. The night wasn’t entirely dark with the light from torches and oil lamps and more. Taking it out the card was entirely black, a flat black matte on the whole card, a blue line outlined a moth, or butterfly as she watched. The words ‘join the fight’ went inside of the moth. The lines lifted off, showing the whole moth as a thrill ran up her arm. It was magic, as the outlined creature with the words ‘join the fight’ flew off the paper. 

It seemed to look at her, before it faded. The card started to crumble, almost like it was turning to ash. Rey’s heart raced, and she grabbed the other one, opening it and watching it again. Her heart raced inside of her chest. But she still couldn’t ensure her own safety with them, not for what she was. Desperately now more than ever she wanted to trust both Poe and Finn, but still. With what she was, there was no taking chances. She had seen first hand what her chances were, if they were willing to tear apart a baby. What would they do to her? 


	4. A Kings Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren doesn't believe a single member of his kind actually lives. So when from his childhood sends a missive he is rattled, and rattled again when there might be one within his grasp.

Leagues away just as the sun rose so too did the Dark Kingdom. Though there it was not called that, here it was known as Atch-to. Kylo Ren woke, and rolled over standing up in one motion from his bed. There was still a coldness to his limbs and body despite the near ever present fire in his room bleaching out heat. With the rock around him, and even the thick rugs it still felt frozen from his vague distant memory. Even layers and layers of uncomfortable clothes didn’t help much. They were no where near the silk that he remembered. 

Ren stretched out, raising the large mostly black wings from his back and raised his hand and ran the fine fur on his hands to the black antenna that were on his head realigning them before cracking his joints. Despite the long life he had he had little knowledge to know just how truly old he was. It had been decades since he last saw one of his own people, sighing he went to his wardrobe getting out of the clothes he slept in. 

When he was finally ready to face all those that were roaming the old castle he left, wearing thick black clothes he went to the throne room. His morning meal was waiting for him despite the look of mild disgust that it held for many people. Hux walked in just after he was finished frowning as the smell still lingered in the room. He was carrying several sheets of paper and thick parchments. 

“How are things?” he asked the young red head. After the few years he had saved his life he had been a keen asset within the campaign. It had been his idea to create propaganda cards, and to foster hundreds of spies all without knowing fully of the other organizations all working to free every single inhuman creature. 

“The village of Edau finished the defensive wall around it and is ready for settlers.” Hux stated looking over the first of the stack. “Then the makers have finished another batch of the cards and they are ready to be imbued.” Ren grimaced. “I actually have another test ready to see if it will take just a drop of blood for the whole batch.” 

“That will be better than needing a drop for each five.” Ren put his hand to his face tracing down a scar there. It felt as old as him, but really he only had it since he killed the king and left that damn castle. He should have killed the Ashen One, taken that thing, but he was too focused on running. Hux nodded a tight smile gracing his features. “Anything actually necessary to bring up?” 

“The Damereons sent an emergency missive, and so did Maz.” Ren blinked looking at Hux. He selected out a few sheets of the paper, looking down at them before slowly walking to him. The quiet of the young man unnerved him as he was given the papers. “Her ward Finn made some sketches.” he explained as he looked at them. What he saw was nothing, just what looked like a lump of clothes, with wide scared looking eyes. 

“What is it about this that requires my input?” Hux gestured to him. His heart dropped down into his stomach, as he looked further to the papers. There was every possible angle along with several of her hands, long fingers that looked to be covered in fur. Similar to his, if not the same, as he looked from them to himself. 

“Shara has said that she believes her to be… the… one.” Ren could not take his eyes away from a profile look of her face. He pet over the drawing, tracing it. “She looks familiar, but you know how things can’t exactly be… good to reveal her.” 

“She is alive?” he asked quietly. Hux swallowed, despite there being many people waiting they all went quiet. Hux was the only human there and despite that he didn’t look out of place among the various creatures there. 

“Shara believes so.” He looked from the picture to Hux not daring to hope at all. It had been a very long time since he had last seen another of his kind. “Is there anything you can think of that would be an utter confirmation?” He scowled face twisting into an angry snarl. “She is very wary.” he gestured to the papers. “Poe said he has been trying to gain her trust.” Ren tried to relax, his first instinct was to rush back to that city to find her and save her. 

He shuffled the papers until he found Poe’s missive the messy scrawl making his eye twitch. So far what he described only made that instinct rush into his head even further. “She is very careful.” Hux almost sounded fond. Ren pushed the thoughts of rushing back in away from his head looking at the scrawled, and very horrible drawing of a print from what would be the disticint feet, if it wasn’t one of the worst drawings he had ever seen. 

“What does she do?” he asked.

“They are not entirely sure, she is a beggar but goes to Maz and Finn to spin. Other than that she begs near the market.” Hux was the only one who didn’t back away when he lept up at the sudden rush of emotion. Looming over the man he grit his teeth forcing himself to calm down despite the near utter insanity that would make him do something stupid. 

“Can’t they get her  _ out _ of there?” his voice was somewhere near a snarl, and a deep grating whine. He knew it was a useless sort of ask, their spies said so at every single missive. Not for something like her. Never for something like her. 

“We will.” Hux stated and Ren turned on him mantling over him, Hux looked up at him. “She will escape even if we need to invade the city.” Ren relaxed, taking long breaths before settling back down onto his throne. There was a sigh, and everyone started to relax. He finally set the now crumbled papers down on a small table near it, smoothing out the profile picture of the girl. 

“What is next.” his tone became more tightly controlled, Hux nodded to him. Going through more missives. Mainly just battle reports which was nothing. It appeared that the troops were pulling back from the border, which left him twitching. They could be going to the capital, they could be making it so that it would be impossible for her to escape alive. Did they know? Did they suspect? His mind raced as Hux went over mindless reports.

“There is this,” Hux stated, bringing him back to awareness as he held out a sealed rolled parchment. “It's sealed with magic and it has your seal.” Ren blinked to it. “I don’t even know where it came from, it was on my balcony. I made sure to try to open it.” Ren took it, looking down at the seemingly normal wax seal. “That would be magic right?” 

“Yes.” it was like a second sense really, formed somewhere in his head. The antenna on his head bent down towards it, feeding information into his skull. There was nothing telling him to be wary or scared, and it while it wasn’t tuned to him personally… Ren leaned away from the parchment looking down at it. It looked to be made from the skin of some sort of fish creature, the back of it holding the imprint of scales. It was something that was catered to his kind, he could almost taste the other who made it. How that made sense he wasn’t sure. 

“I can’t be sure what this is.” Ren told him, sliding his finger under the seal and breaking it. There was a soft ‘sigh’ in the magic, breaking the seal. The sense of the ‘other’ rushed further into his head and he shook his head. Old, very old, and Ren cocked his head breathing hitching in. “Uncle Tekka?” he questioned under his breath. He had been a child when he was taken, assuming everyone was either dead or sent to far corners to this continent to be slaughtered. If Tekka was alive then maybe his family could be alive. 

“Are you alright?” Hux asked and Ren blinked up to him. “You’re vibrating.” Ren blinked, he had been making a low noise that he knew Hux at least wouldn’t be able to hear. He stopped himself focusing now on the letter. 

_ ‘I assume your human would bring this to you.’ _ it began making him frown.  _ ‘It has been long enough Behn. You must come back home.’  _ Ren grit his teeth.  _ ‘Our people need you and require you to do your duty. If you do not reply to this missive we will come to you to perform it. This war of yours is useless and only results in lives lost. We have tried fighting, and we have lost. You have a day at the opening of this missive Behn. Write on the back and I will know.’ _ He stared down at it, feeling a mix of rage and past scars aching. He handed it to Hux, allowing him to read it. 

“There are others?” he asked. Ren put his hand to his face trying not to feel anything. Tekka was alive, and there was the implication of more. They had abandoned him, left him here at this cold place to suffer and die. “Duty… Ren, they want you to breed.” He blinked to Hux. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him. 

“I will not. Ignore it, if they wish to have me they can come and  _ find _ me themselves.” he stood up as Hux made a small bow. “The cards Hux? Lets get them done, after that I will see to the training of the next batch of troops.”

“Yes sir.” Hux looked over the letter once more, but gave it to a young aid, a wolf. The very child of the one who was there when Hux came to them. “I found that using gold wire attached to each card might actually transfer far better than just copper.” he nodded looking over the small room where Hux did his things. 

As right now he was the only 'mage' using freely given bits of hair from others or samples of Ren's blood. At the moment a large urn made up of a cage of gleaming wire sat on the desk waiting. At the top was a thin gold plate, if Ren looked hard enough at it he could see many more gold plates with the cards on them. He did note it could be opened to place the cards in and it was fairly impressive. 

"Just place a single drop on the top there and we will see what happens. We may even be able to have you just put your hand on it soon. Hopefully." Hux said quickly. Ren frowned, but grabbed a very sharp needle and jabbed his finger holding it over the plate obediently. The single drop landed and for a moment nothing happened. 

He sensed just like he senses from the parchment the woven 'spell' working. There was no flash, no warmth, but soon enough the magic faded and Hux opened up the side grabbing one of the bottom cards. As soon as it left the confines of the cage the card activated showing the large blue 'butterfly' on it with writing inside. "It is good! If any of them failed it would have been the bottom ones. Thank you." Ren nodded to Hux before leaving him he would place each one into a sealed wax packet inside of the urn. 

They really didn't need to be opened at night, once light hit them they usually activated. However it was far easier to see them at night then in the light of day. However now as light streamed into the lands he had more things to do, training as many troops as there could be, he did not trust that the soldiers would be gone for very long against the border. His main concern was the little villages who might not wish for the protection of walls that did not deter a main troop, but did slow them down long enough for escape. Or his people to come in and repel the attack. 

The large castle that had been here had sat in ruins, and even now years later was still undergoing repairs, it was why Hux’s room was the only room with a balcony. The others were being slowly reinstated, and recreated. The main city, a low sprawling thing of many empty buildings than full, was the same as the castle. Long abandoned, and ruined, but being fixed slowly. Once, it had been a sprawling city full of inhumans. Now it laid in half ruins, not even near its full capacity. He didn’t remember it being a sprawling city, not even as a young child, but some tell it had been once forged by the long ago ‘dragons’. 

Whether or not they were all destroyed was a question of whether or not all his kind were destroyed. There could be more, but none in all memory had seen them. In all history, just another slaughtered race that more than likely had fed the humans growth as the parasites and wretches that they were. The troops sat in a large cleared area that still had grass trying to grow through the heavily packed dirt. They all straightened when they saw him, many different faces, many different kinds of inhumans. “Are you all ready?” he asked. 

“YES MY KING.” they replied, nearly as one. He hid a flinch, a king, yes the king of emptiness. He spread out the men paring them up to see if anyone could even get close to what he could do. Maybe six out a hundred, maybe they could be the personal guards Hux would complain about him not having. But otherwise, there was too much to worry about, too many things for his mind to run over and over again. Lying on the small table, looking frail and scared. 


	5. Newfounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finally see's the Ashen One and then realizes that there are people she can trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I've been playing a lot of Dark Souls 3?

Rey smiled brightly towards Poe as he came around the corner, but her smile dropped when she noticed someone else with him. There was a troop of people coming down the way towards the slave market as they all came into view. A large carry chair completely covered in long drapes of fabric that let in no sight to who was inside. All her hairs stood on end as she felt something inside of her react, something that told her to run and never stop until she was outside and then some. 

Poe frowned at her as she cowered behind the stone counter, she had been waiting to see if there was anyone going to go to the market and she could beg. Hunching herself as they passed they stalled just a ways from her setting the chair down on the stone ground. Rey shivered as that feeling increased but she stayed her ground, it would be so revealing to what she might be. She watched as a hand came out of the chair and slowly a person emerged, dressed in extremely rich clothing. 

They were old, and parts of them seemed to flake off as something burned inside of them. Skin seemed to both burn, yet not burn in what was exposed. On the old man’s side was a small sword, making her shiver. That feeling of fear, of the intense need to run increased with him outside of the chair. The old man looked around focusing on Rey as she only barely caught his very inhuman eyes before slowly reaching for the hidden puppets, setting them onto the counter as he disregarded her. 

Someone, maybe just a normal person made a noise and from the sounds started to run. “Get them.” she heard a gravelly voice state. Two guards swerved out from the troop and chased after the fleeing footfalls. “Bring me the candidates.” Rey chanced a look up watching as what could have been the slave market swarmed with activity. The few slaves that were left were brought out tied up and forced to their knees. Most of them were the cow-like creatures, only one was the wolf-like ones. 

She watched as he completely ignored the cows and leaned over the wolf, the creature didn’t look up, every hair on its body stood on end. “Not enough.” He said and left, not going near the others he moved into the carry chair not looking towards Rey a single time again. The carriers of the chair lifted it up and with some scrambling from the few slaves it was carried off with the soldiers coming back. Rey didn’t know what might happen to the fleeing person she shivered, as the world didn’t return to normal. She put the puppets back into the cubby and stood slowly shivering in the lingering fear. 

No one had seen the Ashen one since she remembered but it was the only thing that made sense to her to what she saw. The utterly inhuman creature that looked to be only a shell of a man with something inside. Lingering information filtered into her head but she wasn’t sure how to describe it, it was something like a shell, and the only thing keeping that shell from completely fading was the blade. Rey shuddered one last time standing slowly as people started to come back out from hiding. Those were the smart ones she figured as she made her way very slowly towards Maz and Finn. 

There were a lot of whispers once she got near there, a hub of activity all talking about what she saw, very few knew anything other than the Ashen One had left the castle. Most had only seen the troop from afar, maybe too scared to go near it. Rey slipped into the back of the shop Finn and Maz both looking at her as they spoke quietly. Finn leapt up towards her going to her side and stopping just before he touched her. “Rey,” he seemed a bit breathless. “Thank goodness, I heard that they went to the slave market.” 

“I’m fine.” she told him and reached out touching his arm. He blinked to her as she moved away from the door towards Maz trying to smile. 

“Oh… you saw him didn’t you?” Maz asked her. Maz was the oldest person Rey knew as she settled by her. 

“What… what was that?” she asked quietly. Maz frowned, waving Finn closer to her. “You know don’t you?” Maz gestured upwards as she looked around. 

“Finn, close the shop.” Finn nodded as Rey followed Maz to the private living quarters of the two, the shop took up most of the ground floor, the upper story was their living space and the attic. Maz settled her down at a small two person table near the small hearth where soup was slowly bubbling away. Nearly bone dried meat leg hung up above along with various dried out herbs. Finn came up a moment later leaving Rey to wait as Maz seemed to collect herself for something. 

“He came to his country a long time ago, when I was just a little girl. It seemed like a grace, this mythical creature…” Maz paused with a grimace. “It was from the north, way up there from beyond the ice flow.” 

“Maz? You knew the…” Rey paused blinking to the older woman. 

“The King of the inhumans? I was one of the ones who helped him escape dear. I used to be a maid in the castle.” she explained smiling sadly. “When that happened it was chaos, there were soldiers everywhere, I helped him get to the outside and he just… flew. Right out of the city. A lot of people were blamed, and the Ashen one… he banned everyone from the castle, say for who he knew he trusted.” Rey breathed out. 

“I… saw an old man.” Rey told her. “It looked like he was burning, but… not.” she said, looking to Finn as he gathered up a small kettle to boil water. He was silent as they spoke. “What… what is he?” 

“That I don’t know, but whatever it is, it needs sacrifices to… live.” Rey shivered, bringing Maz to give her a look. “Rey, stay as far away from this thing as possible. I don’t think… I don’t think it is safe for you in this city.” 

“I… I need… money right? To escape?” Maz put a hand to her face thinking. “What about you? And Finn?” Rey paused. “And Poe? He isn’t safe there. He was in the troop with the…Ash… thing.” 

“Rey he can’t be trusted then.” Finn told her. Rey shook her head looking at the small cup Finn settled by her full of steaming water and a few loose tea leaves coloring the water. 

“I trust him.” she stated flatly Finn and Maz looked at each other then her. “He helped me… he is nice. I know him… I trust him.” she repeated. Hoping she really did believe it utterly to her core. “His mom is really nice too, she lets me work in her shop cleaning.” Rey glanced down to her fingers… so alien compared to everyone else. Maz slowly reached out to her just barely touching the back of her hand before pulling away. 

“Those are really your hands aren’t they?” Maz’s words were in a whisper, and Rey’s heart shot up into her throat. “Rey, are you inhuman?” Slowly Rey reached up and removed the layers on her head watching the two. Maz didn’t gasp or gap, Finn made a strangled noise that he put a hand out to silence. Maz’s eyes went wide with wonder as Rey slowly smoothed out the long antenna on her head with her hand. “That is why you’re so good at spinning.” Maz chuckled smiling. 

“What?” Maz sipped at the tea. 

“I don’t think the King knows it, but I remember before everyone was kicked out there was a minor scandal. Well, not scandal it was almost on par with murder with how it was treated…” Maz looked away remembering. “Barely a scarf but it was made by your kind, I never got near it, but I saw it when the Ashen… One took it. It seemed like he consumed it, feeding himself with what it was. It was worth more than the castle for such a thing no longer existed. Only to just be eaten to sustain that thing.” 

“How… how was it made by… my… people?” she asked. 

“I don’t know exactly, but it was completely see through, yet it shimmered and danced like it was clouds.” Maz said. “They said it was finer than silk from the Three Ports. They get their silk from a nearby island that… well the big guys? The cows are from, they form well…” Maz gestured towards Rey as she fixed her hood back on to herself. “Into moths but when they are babies they form silk, and some humans found how to make it like those things your people made. A substandard replacement from what I heard. You’ll be seeing it soon though… the shipment for it should be coming in from the dyers.” 

“Oh… so that is all you know of my people?” Maz nodded and Rey let the old woman reach out taking her hand examining it. 

“Goodness, this is amazing.” Maz smiled letting go of Rey’s hand. “But you are right… if we just leave then they’d send everyone after us. We’ll leave as soon as the fest is over with. We’ll buy just the bare minimum of what would be a feast then leave.” Rey sniffed shuddering again. These two knew, Rey wasn’t sure how to feel that there were at least two people who knew what she was and didn’t show a sign of wanting to sell her. 

“What will happen to me?” Maz frowned looking away. “What will happen if this thing finds me?” she asked. 

“Honestly Rey, you would be better off dead… I suggest to carry a knife… so you won’t be alive. Better that than… being aware of… whatever that thing will do to you.” 

“I’ll find one…” she said softly, Maz reached out touching her shoulder. 

“Rey, you can believe me and Finn will not hurt you. We both want all inhumans out of the city. We may both be human, but I swear. I will not ever hurt you.” Maz looked convincing, and Rey finally let herself trust them. She relaxed letting herself slump into the chair instead of looking ready to bolt for the window at any moment. 

“I’ll… try.” she replied softly. “I need to find Poe. I need to know he is safe too.” Maz hefted a sigh. “He gave me a card.” she blinked back to Rey looking right at her face. “He gave me one before you did.” 

“Rey…. you should not have told me that.” Rey leaned away from her. “If they catch us… they might be able to take that knowledge…” Maz held up her hands. “But it’s okay.” Maz eased. “Finn, go with her, take some money so it looks like you are purchasing something.” Finn nodded looking at Rey before going to a small hiding spot that held the coins. Rey only thought of sneaking in to steal it briefly, if these people she trusted… then she shouldn’t take from them right? 

“Okay, Let’s go find this Poe. Worst comes to worst we all die right?” He didn’t smile, he looked ready to run to. Rey felt something like when she saw that tiny little thing, that tiny little baby putting her hand out to touch his shoulder. Part of her relayed some kind of feedback, something that was woven deep into Finn. Maybe it was the tight brush with the Ashen One that woken it, but she knew Finn wasn’t entirely human. It was something like her, someday, maybe a year away from now he would change, and become a horse demi-human. Her mind saw him as a budding child, just waiting to grow up. 

“It will be okay.” she told him and smiled. While he didn’t look entirely convinced, he looked more at ease as they walked slowly down towards the bakery Poe’s mother owned. It seemed to take forever with very few people not talking about the first time the Ashen One had been outside in decades. Most people were nervous, were even scared, what joy there was at life starting to return was now crushed under some kind of spell cast. 

"Rey!" Finn jolted, putting himself between her and Poe as he ran towards them. He didn't seem to huff out with exhaustion as he stopped looking over Finn. "Are you okay?" Rey nodded. 

"Poe this is Finn. He's my friend too." Poe glanced to Finn narrowing his eyes. 

"I'm… I would like to go in and buy some sweets? Alone?" He said awkwardly. Poe glanced down to her. 

"You should trust him." Rey motioned them all towards the shop front not busy at the moment from all the people chatting outside. Shara, Poe's mother perked up, almost running to Rey as well before stopping near her wary of Finn. 

"So… Poe, what is all this?" She asked him and he grimaced. 

"I'm not even sure. You Finn, what exactly are you here for?" Poe's voice deepened to authorial. 

"I well…" Finn sighed and from his pocket pulled out one of the cards holding it out to Poe. Shara made a small happy noise before hugging Finn to her. 

"This is fantastic!" Poe gaped for a moment and looked to Rey. 

"I'm… I'm like the Dark King." She said quietly looking up at Poe from below her lashes. Waiting, staring at him as he put his hand behind his head removing the small helm on it as he rubbed the back of his head and neck. 

"I know." He told her. Rey took a step back away from him. 

"Rey, he asked you to come here since I would know." Shara piped up, Rey stopped the backstepping. Shara looked to the shop entrance and motioned to Poe. He moved quickly to close it, locking the door so no one would come in. "I was one of those living in those ruins when he came." 

"So you knew?" Rey asked quietly. "When you gave me…" Shara looked like she wanted to reach out and touch Rey but stayed put. 

"Poe said you didn't trust anyone. So we decided not to pressure you until we had a ensured escape." Rey stared at the ground. "So you are one of us," Shara had turned her attention on Finn. "This is good. Do you have excuses to get outside of the city?" 

"Not many, but we use dyers near the last wall." Shara smiled brightly towards Poe. "Ma'am?"

"Fantastic! That is good, we might be able to get Rey out.” Poe sighed running a hand through his hair. 

“Poe?” Rey asked, he flinched. 

“They are locking down the city. Soon it will be nigh impossible to get out.” Poe told them. Rey’s heart fell into her stomach. 

“But they might be able to get outside the city with you as an escort. You can leave with them.” Poe shook his head. “I can get out later.” 

“Mother please.” Poe said and finally dropped his hands, setting the helmet down on the nearest surface that wasn’t laden with various baked goods. 

“Please don’t die over me.” Rey told them and all eyes went to her making her flinch. “Why am I so important? You can all just sell me.” 

“Rey, you… might be the last with him. We can’t take any chances with your safety.” Shara approached Rey slowly touching her shoulder before pulling away. “I would kill anyone who tried to hurt you, understand?” Rey hung her head but nodded. 

“Thank you for trusting well… I guess us.” Poe said and sighed going back to the doors to open them. “Come on, we can’t lock the place up all day.” 

“OH! I need to buy something.” Finn said and winced. 

“Well what would you like then?” Rey swallowed pointing towards a familiar pie shape that would hold apple filling. Shara laughed, gathering up a few making Rey flush a little in shame when Finn bought them, along with placing an order for the Feast Week. “Stay safe and stay away from the Ashen One. Don’t ever go near him, he will know what you are with just a look.” Shara told Rey quietly making a shiver go through her. 

It seemed to take a lifetime to get back to Maz’s shop, making it fairly late. Rey swallowed as Maz seemed to be waiting for something. “It is… to late right?” she asked softly staring at the tiny old woman. “To go home.” Maz didn’t smile, but gave a small nod. 

“We have a good space in the attic, there is a way up to the roof from it. Finn uses it to clean the gutters.” Maz told her. Finn led her to the small nook, nothing more really then a place under the eves of the triangular shaped roof with a small window she could fit through. A thick padded mattress and a scrap blanket much better than the one in her tower Rey settled in unsure if she could sleep. So much had happened, and in two days it would be the week of Feast. In some small way it felt a lot like fattening herself up for a slaughter. 

“At… least you have friends.” she told herself sighing staring out through the window. She still had the now empty card on her and stared at it. It was the closest she might ever get to someone else of her kind, she almost could smell something on it. Breathing in through her mouth near it. It was to faint to get anything other than knowing there was something there on it, something she wanted more and more of. Something barely stated by her newfound friends and allies. She never knew what it was like to not be lonely, but figured it might be just that. A desperate feeling to no longer wanting to be lonely. 

Finn knocked on the wall making her jerk towards him as the moon rose. “You look so terrier in the light…” he said and held out a small bowl. “You didn’t eat dinner so…” he placed it near her filled up to the brim with the very basic meal him and Maz shared. “What do you like to eat?” 

“Uh...rotting… meat?” she told him. “Fruit… I like fruit.” she added quickly with Finn’s grimace. 

“I have to eat a mainly vegetarian diet. Its why there is always little meat in our food.” he told her. “Maz is a human you know… and I’m really happy you trusted the both of us.” 

“It… it feels good to have friends.” she picked up the bowl lapping up at the contents. “I never trusted anyone before.” 

“Rey, that is how they win.” she gave him a curious look. “By making us feel alone. You know, after the big change for me?” she shrugged. “We can choose to look human or not, it takes about a week for it to happen but we can change back and forth.” 

“What exactly are you?” Finn smiled towards her, Rey knew already, but she needed to know what she discovered about herself was true or not. 

“I’m a horse once I hit twenty I’ll change.” Rey blinked unsure of the feeling of him being a child or not now. “Just how old are you?” 

“I don’t know anymore. I’ve been in this city for a long time it feels like.” He nodded to her and sighed. 

“I’ll leave you to your meal and sleep.” he smiled at her and she smiled back at him. “You can stay here as long as you like. I’ll protect you.” 

“Maybe, I would need to get my things.” Rey replied quietly. Watching him as he left her alone, eating the thick porridge with dried fruit in it thinking. She didn’t feel that much safer here than the tower, here was deeper in the city, while at least at the tower she could see to the outside. It wasn’t as feasible to leave, but it just felt nicer to be able to look out and watch as the moon rose directly where she wanted to go. Like a distant beacon calling her home. 


	6. Brands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren finally comes face to face with another of his kind.

Ren stared down the old man, in a way he was familiar in another he wasn’t. He barely remembered Tekka, an uncle of a sort lost in the chaos that had him chained to Snoke for the majority of his life. Even so in his old life Ren never remembered him being able to fly, yet that was how he had come. Two lanky sort of creatures, barely humanoid in appearance cackled to each other like birds in the courtyard. A large sort of carry basket on the ground by them which had carried Tekka between them. 

The two were ‘bird’ inhumans, with lanky arms covered in long feathers that folded up almost bat-like, with their little fingers extending out to make the wing further out. They had carnivore teeth with little to no way to ‘chew’ their food, their feet bird-like as they chatted in an utterly unknown language to him. With large barrel chests they were covered in rock colors, all sort of granite color, and one who had large orange cheek spots. He had heard of the creatures, but never had seen one truly alive. There had been one displayed in the castle with Snoke, long nearly eaten away by insects and improperly preserved in its case. 

Ren didn’t know exactly what to even say, let alone what to do. This was an impossibility, he thought himself the last, yet now was faced with even more things that were supposed to be truths in his life. “Look at how old you’ve gotten Tekka.” Ren told Tekka. Tekka’s wings were tattered like a dark green cloak around him with large holes that had long ago healed as much as they could have healed. He was dressed like any human being for winter looking at Ren with a sort of wry expression. 

“Look at yourself, Are you truly Behn Solo or just this Kylo Ren?” Tekka replied, the two birds laughed, their high voices carrying, everyone was slowly filtering in and away from the place to gawk. Hux however was standing in a corner just barely setting up a lap desk and scribbling furiously down with a charcoal pencil as one aid got a pen ready. “I knew you so long ago Behn, are you truly that one anymore?” 

“Why are you here?” Ren demanded back he stilled himself before he could mantle over Tekka, he was as tall as the old man, but almost twice in weight. The two birds stopped chatting instead looking him over with quirked eyes. More inhuman than anything he had seen in his life that was one of them, he figured. 

“To get you to come home. You are required to perform your duty as one of us Alders.” Ren glared down to the old man slowly lifting the wings on his back out. Tekka took a step back going down to a knee. “Is this what you want? King?” 

“How many?” Ren asked. Tekka blinked. “How many are left?” 

“Seven hundred and ninety three.” Tekka said. “Three hundred males, the rest female. You are required to perform your duty so that problems do not start occurring.” Tekka told him. Ren dropped his wings putting a hand to his face, so many. So many left alive, he was giddy. “Your mother would like to see you again, and your father.” Ren stalled, hand on his face just about to smile as he stared down at Tekka. 

“They are alive?” Tekka edged backwards shuffling awkwardly. Whatever giddy feeling that was in him left with a cold rush. They left him. They left him alone and terrified for one hundred years, left him to slowly be drained of life chained to a creature that he couldn’t call human even when he was. 

“Yes Behn…” Tekka grimaced facing the ground. Deep seated anger rushed through his entire body. 

“You can leave Tekka.” Ben snapped. “I will not do anything that you want. Since for all I know. I am the last of my kind.” Tekka flinched. “And you and the rest of the traitors would be lucky I don’t take you into my kingdom.” He leaned down to the old man. “Like I will with this entire land, and world even. Maybe then I will find  _ one _ of my people.” 

“Behn, you don’t have to.” Tekka whispered to him. Ren was standing over him he drew the sword that was always by him. He raised it and brought it down right near the old man, cracking the ground as he scrambled back away. The two birds began to squawk, nearly screaming as they leapt towards the scene. But he backed away leaving Tekka alive as the two barely stood up towards him. 

“There are only two of my kind left.” he told Tekka. “Me, and a lady known as Rey. I will find and save her life. While you creatures sit and hide like the cowards you are.” Tekka finally got up, with the two bird in-humans acting as human shields against him. Tekka looked confused and frightened. “HUX!” The human snapped to attention, scrambling away from the lap desk and going to his side with a small bow. 

“Prepare the army. We are marching towards the city.” Hux’s eyes went wide. “I will force them to have all of our people let go. Or face starvation and death for all of them.” Hux nodded. 

“Behn…” Ren stepped down from the small group and looked back towards the three. 

“My name is Kylo Ren. You best address me as such traitor.” he told the old man. “Unless you want to face the gates of death.” Ren turned away from them and with a clear dismissal the rest of the court left the three there. There were so many left, so many there where he came from. Not only that many, but his own family was alive. They were alive and thriving, leaving him there thinking he was utterly alone in the world. 

When they actually wanted him? It was to just throw himself to the nearest female to do nothing else but reproduce his own people. To be shackled again like he was for almost his entire life. Like they may do to Rey, but he was not going to let that happen. She was going to be saved regardless of what he must do and how many he must lose to do it. Unlike him she must know that there were those that cared for her, and would die trying to protect her. His own family wouldn’t ever mourn him, they didn’t even try to save him. 

“Sir?” Hux asked him. “You’ve been quiet.” 

“Let them rot away where they are hiding. Hux, what is the latest report from the city?” Ren demanded. Hux nodded frowning just a little. 

“A week’s worth of snow piled on the town, we missed most of it. However last I heard they finally finished the tunnels so they might have an out already for… her.” Hux replied. Ren nodded eyes narrowing as the castle swarmed with activity. They were going to march, they were going to get her out of the city. “Are you going to kill that… Tekka?” 

“Why would I kill something that is worthless?” Ren replied. Kylo Ren. The Killer King, that is what Kylo Ren meant, he used to wear it simply as of what he did. The one who killed the king, but now it was his brand. It was who he was. Behn died a long time ago and not a single one of them even tried to find his body. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I tagged, Ben needs a hug.


End file.
